Tuesday, 17 April 2012

Breakfast Pizza from Cally @countrygate

Sometimes you meet people online and just click with them instantly and, for me, Cally @countrygate, is one of those people.

I can't quite remember when I first "met" Cally - it was the days before Twitter - I think through WiRE.

Here Cally shares her great idea for breakfast pizza for teenagers - I agree with her about the homemade English muffins and the process of getting the kids involved with making the dough the night before is a great way to get them cooking. But if you really don't have the time - some shop bought ones can be nearly as good.......

Here's a little of what drives Cally, in her own words, followed by the recipe.

"Most of the work I've done
cooking with and for kids has stemmed from running the gardening club at the
school my three attend. In the last three years I've tried to breathe a bit of
life into the way the kids relate to food - snacking and sipping garden full of
munchies for the little 'uns; salad bags full of leaves and edible
flowers sold to parents; homemade lemonade and ginger beer at school cake
sales, cooking historical recipes to tie in with what they're studying in
history (the Anglo Saxon feast with veggie stew cooked outside on an open fire
was a big hit) bread making, cooking cakes with vegetables, classes for parents
on low incomes showing them how to grow and cook simple stuff - pasta sauces,
pizza, bread...

The breakfast pizza was the result
of a discussion with another Mum about the numbers of kids leaving going onto
secondary school and having a breakfast of chocolate from the local newsagents
as they rushed to get to school on time. I am hoping to provide a
pop-up breakfast bar on a more regular basis in the future. My own kids love
making the dough the night before and in essence can manage to make the
pizza themselves for breakfast."

Breakfast PizzaCan be eaten on the go - though what mother wouldn’t prefer their offspring to sit and chat over breakfast? Great for both occasions.

To make your own muffins...and I have to admit I do - you’ll need.....

Add flour, yeast, salt and water to mixer bowl. Mix on low speed with the dough hook fitted until combined. Then add the oil and leave to knead for 10 minutes.

If mixing by hand, mix the flour, yeast, salt and water to form a sticky dough. Mix in the oil and then turn out onto a clean surface and knead until smooth and silky.

Shape the dough into a round, coat with a little extra oil and place in a clean bowl. Cover with a plastic bag and leave to rise until doubled in size.

Tip out onto the work surface and knock back. Divide into 9 pieces, shape each into a round and flatten to about 1-2cm. Dust all over with semolina flour. Leave to prove on a linen cloth or wooden board, covered with a plastic bag until doubled in size.

Heat a large heavy based frying pan over a medium heat. Lay the muffins in the pan and cook for a minute or two. Then turn them over gently. Cook slowly for a further 10 minutes, turning every now and then. If using an Aga, cook directly on the warm plate for up to 15 minutes, giving them a quick blast on the hot side at the end, if you think they need it. Leave to cool on a wire rack.

To assemble your breakfast pizza, slice a muffin in half; top one half with a couple of large thin slices of tomato and then ¼ cup shredded mozzarella.

Place it on a baking sheet, along with the other half of the English muffin. Grill until the cheese is melted and browned in places.

Remove and add a few leaves of finely chopped or torn basil. Top with the other half of the English muffin and you’re ready to run.

My children are rather conservative in their tastes but you could add some fried sliced mushrooms, a fried egg or ham for more adventurous types. Simples!